PMP Critical Path Practice Question
You are the project manager for a large construction project. Midway through, a key supplier informs you that a critical component will be delayed by 6 weeks due to raw material shortages. The component is on the critical path and has zero float. What should you do FIRST?
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Conduct a schedule impact analysis and evaluate options such as fast-tracking or crashing
The correct first step when faced with a delay on the critical path is to assess the impact and explore options before taking action or communicating. Option D is correct because conducting a schedule impact analysis allows you to evaluate techniques like fast-tracking or crashing to mitigate the delay. Option A is premature without understanding the full impact or alternatives. Option B (working overtime) is a form of crashing, but it should only be considered after analysis to determine if it's feasible. Option C is incorrect because stakeholders should be informed after analysis and with a proposed recovery plan.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
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Terminate the contract with the supplier and find a new one
Why it's wrong here
Terminating a contract is an extreme and premature action that should only be considered after a comprehensive impact analysis, exploration of all other recovery options, and a thorough review of contractual obligations. Such a drastic step can lead to significant legal and financial repercussions, further project delays due to re-procurement, and damage to supplier relationships, making it an inappropriate initial response to a schedule deviation.
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Ask the team to work overtime to compress the schedule
Why it's wrong here
While asking the team to work overtime is a form of crashing, implementing it without a prior schedule impact analysis is an uninformed and potentially inefficient decision. Crashing should be strategically applied to critical path activities that yield the maximum schedule compression for the least cost and risk. Unplanned or widespread overtime can lead to increased costs, reduced team morale, burnout, and potential quality degradation without guaranteeing the desired schedule recovery.
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Notify the sponsor and stakeholders that the project will be delayed by 6 weeks
Why it's wrong here
Notifying the sponsor and stakeholders of a specific 6-week delay without first conducting a thorough schedule impact analysis and developing potential recovery plans is unprofessional and reactive. A project manager's responsibility is to analyze the situation, assess the true impact, explore mitigation strategies, and then communicate a comprehensive update that includes the problem, its assessed impact, and proposed solutions or next steps. Premature communication of an unmitigated delay can erode stakeholder confidence and may not reflect the project's true recoverable status.
- ✓
Conduct a schedule impact analysis and evaluate options such as fast-tracking or crashing
Why this is correct
Conducting a schedule impact analysis to evaluate options like fast-tracking or crashing is the correct first step according to project management best practices, especially when the delayed item is on the critical path with zero float.
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Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This PMP practice question is part of Courseiva's free PMI certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the PMP exam.